Float serve reception

by Robert Poole

One of the areas of my game that I have been working on with VC Bitterfeld Wolfen is my underarm pass (dig/bump pass) on float serve reception. Although I am playing as an opposite, I am glad that the coach wants me to feel competent receiving serve as he acknowledges that there can be a time and place to bring the opposite into the service reception unit to give other receivers a break (when things may not be going well) or just to switch things up and shift to a 4 person receiving unit.

I have always enjoyed passing repetitions as they help me to develop my understanding of the game. I might not have to pass often in matches but I find that learning something new in training helps me to reignite my passion for the game and build my confidence. For example, working on passing then transitioning to attack reinforces just how important it is to get in rhythm with the ball. Most pin hitters will tell you that it is much easier for them to find a good rhythm when they pass in serve reception and then attack the resulting set as opposed to attacking off of another player’s pass and I fully understand where they are coming from. When I practice receiving in position 4, it highlights for me the problems encountered by the receiver so that when I serve I can create difficult transition situations for that attacker when it comes to game time.

It can also give me a much needed break by helping to take my mind off other aspects of my game that I might be overthinking about and allow me to turn my attention to a different skill that isn’t the most important aspect of my game. It also reassures me that I have multiple ways in which I can help out the team. An additional bonus to getting these repetitions in has meant receiving feedback from the coach about my technique and really being able to work on nailing down a solid platform from which to build.

Moving backwards/ passing on my back foot

Like a lot of players that I have watched, I have a tendency to move backwards after I pass. In order to execute a good pass consistently, a player should always attempt to find a balanced position at the point of ball contact, or at least be balanced enough to hold the angle of the platform they wish to create.

Even if a passer is not in exactly the right position to pass, there has to be a moment where they stop and pause ready to contact the ball. Errors typically occur when passers are not in position early enough and are moving at the point of contact on the ball, either trying to take a late step backwards or standing up to compensate for being too close to the ball. When this occurs, their bodyweight moves away from the contact point rather than through the ball towards the target resulting in the ball either not having enough power to reach the target (falls short) or not going in the direction of the target.

It’s also very difficult for a player to time a ball if they are constantly moving. For example you might set your passing platform perfectly angled towards your target but when you move, it’s position changes – maybe ever so slightly. This now means that you have to correct the change, usually by moving the arms to the ball. Whilst you are making this correction, the ball is still moving too so the resultant platform angle is now random and it’s pot luck as to where the pass goes. The number of times this has happened to me and the ball has clipped the outside edge of my arm because of a small miscalculation used to be quite high but just by focussing on being still on contact I have reduced this number drastically.

Not creating space/ Platform too close to the body

Another of my tendencies that my coach has made me aware of recently is my habit of passing when the ball is too close to my body. This means that I don’t free up my platform and arms early enough to get into the right position to pass so I am then forced into making late adjustments to try to play the ball on the correct part of my platform whilst being off balance. On a similar note, passers can also sometimes struggle to open up when the ball is served high and they haven’t had enough time to track the ball back or have moved late. They should take a step backwards and take the ball to either side of their body. I have occasionally been caught out like this and to correct it I have ended up trying to jump to get the ball on the right part of my platform. This usually results in playing the ball whilst still in the air, producing an inconsistent pass.

Passers need to start tracking the ball early enough in the serve and learn to pick up the different signals from the ball flight. This is particularly difficult when faced with a very flat and strong float serve because it’s extremely difficult to judge exactly when the ball flight ‘peaks’ just before the ball starts to drop. This is one of the reasons that a strong float serve can actually cause a passer more problems than an inconsistent jump serve.

Leaning backwards/away from the ball

One of the first lessons I learnt about passing was the importance of moving towards the ball when passing rather than away from it. Although you do need to create space to contact the ball away from your body, you still want to have your shoulders and head going forwards through the ball so that you can then put your bodyweight behind the pass and get the ball to the target. When you lean backwards in the pass you are constantly changing the angle of the platform and therefore are unlikely to pass the ball consistently to target. This usually results in the ball going high just above your head or consistently behind the 3 metre line.

Often it is just a small mechanical movement that can make all of the difference between a successful pass and an unsuccessful one. I am currently working on my passing skills by developing the speed of my footwork to the ball to give myself more time to get into position early and pause and then keeping my head forward when I pass as usually my shoulders will follow. What is important is understanding the process that will obtain the best results for you as a passer, understanding what your body does and how you can use this to your advantage. I have long arms so I can reach a little bit further so whilst I might not always be in the correct position, as long as I get my shoulders and head in the correct place I can create the correct angles for a good solid pass.

Overview

I still think of myself as quite a basic level passer. Many of the bad habits that have evolved in my passing game are very basic and can be corrected. Whilst I understand passing techniques, putting the correct technique into practise takes time and I have to be able to feel what the correct technique is like in order to then repeat it effectively. I’m still learning, as a coach and player, different techniques and having conversations with other coaches to always try to better my knowledge.

The process won’t happen overnight but just by being honest with yourself and seeing where you can make a single change one week then switching your focus to a different element of the pass the next week can really help you create some consistency within your passing repetitions and give you a good focus for practise. The most important element is understanding that creating an angle on your platform to the target is the most critical, and any situations that jeopardise the structure of your platform will decrease the chances of a positive outcome.